Red's Beauty and Her Beast
by Apple Lani
Summary: Belle ("Lacey") is still in the hospital struggling against her amnesia. Ruby comes to visit, bearing gifts including a "fanfiction" written by pre-amnesia Belle. This is a bittersweet Red Beauty story. It ends on a happier note, but it's still kind of sad.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I wrote this shortly after 2x13 ('Tiny'), and a while after I wrote the third chapter. I'm still having a hard time coping with Belle's memory loss. I thought of this while at work, as my job is reflected through the scenery. It sat for a while, depressing my friends who I forced to beta.**

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Belle sat up suddenly and looked around. It took a few minutes through her groggy daze to realize where she was. Hospital room. Clean, too clean. Sterile furniture. Everything was plastic, even her pillow which was covered in a thin fabric that posed as a pillowcase. Incessant beeping of different tones coming from various locations. Everything was gray and beige…

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Red. Everything in her mind was red, and it was a struggle to shake the image from her mind. Belle didn't remember anything from her dream except for the color that pervaded everything, seeping from corners of her brain where her memories were just out of reach. It was difficult being in the hospital. The many medications the nurses continually injected her with never seemed to help, but instead pushed her mind beyond her own comprehension and forced her body into an uncomfortable paralysis. She didn't remember much. Even her accident was a blur.

But who she was, she couldn't say. Her own father had only been to visit her a few times, and every time he left more heartbroken than the last. His visits were always brief, and he spent most of the time holding her hand and crying. Of course she loved him, and he was the only comforting familiar face that she was able to pull from the facets of her mind. However, he didn't give her the support that was essential to her recovery.

All she could remember was gray walls, but she wasn't sure if that was from her current time in the hospital or from before. She craved a book. She had read the hospital pamphlets, old magazines and even hospital menu so many times. Belle may not remember much, but she remembered the magic of escapism through the written word.

Her days in the hospital tended to meld together. Wake up, eat, meds, nap, wake up, eat, meds, nap…. The cycle tended to repeat itself several times a day. Her mind was a puzzle with missing pieces that she still kept trying to put together. Sometimes pieces seemed like it would fit, and other pieces seemed like they belonged to a different puzzle. The medications gave her all sorts of dreams. The morning meds gave her restful dreams that seemed a shame to wake up from until she realized she lost most of the day. The night-time medications gave her lucid dreams, where she was unable to differentiate between reality and her own unconscious. When her mind began to clear on her own and the emptiness of her lost memories began to overwhelm her, the nurses gave her the drug that gave her the most frightful dreams. She had terrible nightmares. She dreamt of great black wolves, of small rooms without escape, of terrible sorcerers and witches whose very stare could burn a person's soul. Those dreams always took her to a place that felt familiar but the terrors that it held made the place less than welcoming.

Now that her head felt clear, as clear as it could these days, Belle looked up to the wall to view the clock. It was 7 AM. Breakfast would be served soon. She sighed and turned to lie on her side. She looked out of her room door which was slightly ajar. The nurses outside were bustling about, as it appeared to be the change of shift. Belle wondered what was in store for her that day. Sadly, she knew there would be nothing different. Not until she could regain her memories that seemed like they never wanted to return. A single tear rolled down her face. She was tired of feeling like an empty shell, but she didn't know what to do about it. She hoped the hospital staff could help her. Until then, all she could do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: 'OUaT' is an emotional roller coaster that I thought I could ride because I'm tall enough, but I can't get off now that I'm on it. In order to cope with my emotions, I wrote this (which was actually written last). Beware, it's full of feels.**

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Ruby walked up to the nurse's station, flashing her visitor's badge and pointed towards Belle's – no, Lacey's – room. She was going to have to get used to that, since the girl still hadn't retrieved her memories yet. To be honest, she wasn't responding to "Lacey" either, but she didn't fight it with the same kind of angry confusion as the name Belle. However, that's how the werewolf knew her friend, and that's what she'd always be in her mind. The nurses waved her by, acknowledging the confused girl's most frequent visitor. After Mr. Gold's last visit, resulting in Belle's agitated rage and a shattered tea cup, he was only allowed supervised visits. Mr. French's visits were becoming more infrequent, as he left with heavier heartache.

Today, Ruby came with a batch of scones she had baked herself. Vanilla, blueberry, cranberry-orange, lemon raisin. She worked herself into a frenzy trying to think of the perfect treat to bring her friend. Wanting her kitchen back, Granny insisted that the girl just bring a sample of everything she had already baked. And, of course, Ruby came with a story.

She also brought a few books, but it was the story that was of importance. It was a special one that Ruby had saved from before the accident. After finally growing comfortable with each other, and Ruby coming clean about the animal within, Belle wrote a small little story. She admitted that it was a shame they had never met in Fairytale Land. Standing in front of the closed hospital room, Ruby took a few deep breaths to steel her mind for what to expect. Belle's affect tended to change from day to day, and even during different times of the day. To calm herself, she reminisced on when Belle first presented the story as a gift.

"'Once upon a time'?" Ruby laughed skeptically as Belle began her tale.

"That's how they all start! Just listen!" Belle insisted, a bashful smile playing upon her lips. Satisfied that her companion would sit and listen, she continued reading the story. Whenever Belle said the name "Red" aloud, Ruby's grin grew wider and wider.

"'Red grew up to become a beautiful young woman'-"

The goofy grin turned into an arrogant smirk. "Beautiful?" Ruby questioned, interrupting the story.

Belle blushed, and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on red lips. "If you don't allow me to continue, you shan't hear the rest of the story," she warned.

Ruby threw her hands up in submission. "Okay, okay! Continue!" She looked on attentively, the soft tones of Belle's story playing harmonics in her ears. Ruby beamed during the fantastical first meeting. She gasped at the notion of a secret meeting in the woods, but she didn't dare interrupt Belle again. Moisture formed in her eyes as Belle described Red's first morning after wolfstime, first in fear for the townsfolk and then in admiration at Belle's friendship. By the end of the story, the tears were freely pouring down her face.

The storyteller gasped. "Oh, no! You hated it!" she said, severely disappointed.

There were no words. Ruby looked at Belle, her green eyes wide with emotion. She swept the girl into her arms for a deep, adoring kiss. "Oh, Belle! No one's ever thought to give me a happy ending. No one but you," she whispered tenderly, leaning in for another affectionate kiss.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Ruby took a deep breath and walked into hospital room. Belle was sitting in her hospital bed, reading in a happy daze. _Oh, good. I'm lucky today,_ Ruby thought, noting the girl's calm state of mind. "Hi, Be-, er, Lacey," Ruby said happily, trying to wear the mask of nothing more than a casual friend.

Belle looked at Ruby for a few moments, the recognition slowly fighting its way through the psychotropic medications. "Oh, Ruby! What a pleasant surprise! I was just reading the most wonderful story!" she said brightly. A few moments later, she said, "Isn't this the one you gave me?"

Relief swept across the other girl's face. Belle was starting to retain memories. If she were to regain the previous ones, time would only tell. "Yes! I brought you some goodies. I baked some scones myself. And…" Her voice faltered as she pulled the books and piece of paper from the basket. "And I brought you more to read."

Blue eyes lit up at the mention of new reading material. The heavy Jules Verne book was plopped onto the night stand as she reached for the two new ones. "_Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen_ and _Grimm's Fairy Tales_?" she asked hesitantly.

Ruby couldn't help but smirk. She hoped that reading some of those would help jog some memories. "Fairy tales are fun and simple. You can travel to many different places in a short amount of time," she informed. Her heart began to race. She wiped the cold stickiness from her palms before taking up the piece of paper to hand her friend. "And they'll help you understand this," her voice cracked, the lump in her throat suffocating the real stories she wanted to confess. Their real pasts. Their current lives. Their true love.

Belle took the piece of paper with a look of confusion. "What is this?" she asked.

Casting her eyes downwards and taking a deep breath, Ruby replied, "It's a story a friend wrote. I think you'll like it." Then, she spoke before she could stop herself. "If you want," her voice hitched, "I could stay with you here while you read it aloud." She stood suddenly, unsure of what to do. Her first instinct was to run. She couldn't stand the thought of rejection and humiliation, but she didn't want to leave Belle's side. The werewolf, in an attempt to hide her anxiety, busied herself with rearranging the scones in the basket.

The young girl smiled timidly. Her voice was filled with confusion, but not from her amnesia. It was the kind of uncertainty accompanied by gaining a new trust. "I-I could read it aloud. It's nice to have company," she said. She cleared her voice and started reading the story slowly.

Ruby closed her eyes and listened to the melodic voice, one that she had missed so dearly. However, this one was tinged with a strange hollowness that crept into the werewolf's bones. Belle's reading was slow and unsteady, as if she was having difficulty keeping up with the short story as she read. Having read the story multiple times, Ruby thought she would be able to handle hearing it read again. Yet hearing the uncertainty in Belle's voice cut deep into Ruby's heart in a different way. It was sad and heartbreaking, far different than the happy ending she had first felt.

When the story was done, Belle set the paper noisily on her lap. "That was… interesting," she confessed.

Heaving a deep sigh, the werewolf, still unable to look at her friend, asked, "You didn't like it?"

"I did. But I guess I didn't get it."

"Oh," was all Ruby could say.

The young girl took up the heavy books again. "Maybe if I read these, I'll understand. If I can remember…" Belle's eyes seemed to unfocus momentarily. Ruby's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She knew what was coming. "I remember…" Belle trailed off, grasping at her shoulder. She felt for the wound that was healed, which had been healed almost instantly. Her hands started to shake and she looked up at Ruby with fear in her eyes.

"Belle…" Ruby whispered, unable to stop herself. She wanted desperately to hold her lover, to comfort her.

"Stop calling me that!" Lacey screeched. She screamed and sobbed, clutching at her shoulder, and pulling at her hair. The two fairy tale books fell to the floor with a thud, followed by the slow glide of Belle's story.

Tears welling in her eyes, Ruby pushed the call button for the nurse. When the nurse's voice came in through the speaker, the visitor was unable to speak, but Lacey's confused terror alerted the staff to the situation. Shortly, several people rushed in. Ruby stood with her back against the wall, unable to tear her eyes from the ghastly sight of her beloved being held down and forced an injection into her arm. Soon, Belle's breathing slowed, her eyes rolled up into her head and her body fell limp, unable to fight the medication coursing through her veins. A nurse stopped to put his hand on Ruby's shoulder, offering momentary comfort, before walking back out and leaving the two alone.

Ruby picked up the books and the story, placing them back on the tray table next to the basket of scones. On another piece of paper she found, the girl jotted down a quick note:

"Belle,  
I came to visit, but you were asleep. Here are some scones I baked for you, and some new books. This is a story a friend wrote. I think you'll like it. It will make more sense if you read some of the stories in the books. I'll visit again soon.  
Your friend, Ruby"

Lightly running her fingers through soft brown hair, Ruby leaned down to give Belle a kiss, but pulled away. Instead, she pressed her cheek against the smooth forehead. The thought of touching her lips to her unsuspecting lover's was too painful, and she didn't want to further traumatize the poor girl. She wiped the tear that had fallen on the sleeping girl's face, and walked out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I wrote this as a one-shot, thinking, "What if Belle wrote a fanfiction about Belle and Red meeting in FTL?" And before I knew what was happening, a sad storyline around it crept into my morbid mind. Still, here's the whole story that Belle wrote for Ruby, as a gift after their first wolfstime together. I hope you enjoyed the story! I'd appreciate any reviews, good or bad!**

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_**Red's Beauty and Her Beast  
By Belle**_

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a little girl named Red. She was called Red due to the beautiful red cloak she always wore. It was deep crimson and flowed with her every move. It was as ancient as the sky but looked new and fresh as a flower in the spring. She was a fun-loving girl who was devoted to her grandmother and friends with everyone. The townsfolk adored her and thought she was the most wonderful girl they had ever met.

The red cloak had magical powers. It was given to her by her grandmother, because Red had a dark secret. Once a month, when the moon was at its peak in its bright round glory, Red's body would shiver and throb and her human form would revert to its wolf-form, as her ancestors had done for centuries. The red cloak repressed the wolf inside of her. But Red didn't know of such things since Granny had given it to her when she was a young girl.

Red grew up to become a beautiful young woman, whom all the townsfolk still loved and many of the men noticed as well. Red was a very friendly person and returned everyone's affections in one way or another.

One day, in their sleepy little town, a beautiful young woman showed up. No one knew from whence she came. She was friendly, but also very shy, always hiding away behind her books. Red first noticed her when she was in the local tavern, while having dinner and surrounded by many of the youths vying for her attention. Noticing the solitary girl in a corner, her nose buried in a book, Red decided to approach the girl.

Red, who was always very outgoing and friendly, appealed to the strange young woman, whose name was Belle. Belle escaped from the captivity of a man, who had fallen in love with her and let her go. She ran away from all she knew in order to start a new life. She missed her father dearly, but she wanted to assert her independence. Red loved her story and the two took to each other quickly. They soon became the best of friends, and went everywhere together.

On the night of the first full moon since they met, Granny insisted that Red stay home alone. She was upset because she had planned on meeting with Belle that night. The two agreed to meet secretly in the woods, to spend more time together. Once she knew Granny was asleep, Red snuck out of the house. She left her red cloak at home, thinking that the red would draw too much attention in the wild.

However, as Red approached the spot where she agreed to meet Belle, a strange sensation washed over her body. It burned through her veins and froze her skin. She gave a great shudder, and felt her body growing unnaturally. She looked down at her hands and saw that her arms were starting to be covered in black fur! Red let out a shriek of terror as the wolf inside burst through and her body was transformed.

Belle, who had neared the rendezvous spot, heard Red's scream. She ran and saw the human body become the wolf. Upon hearing footsteps, the wolf turned on Belle with an angry snarl. She held her hands down in submission to the wolf and stared deep into the dark eyes. Eyes that she recognized still held the same expression as Red's. The wolf let out an angry howl, but Belle still stood her ground. Despite the wolf's menacing glare, the girl slowly approached the beast and gently pet its snout. Belle spoke to Red in a gentle voice, and knew that her friend was somewhere inside. The wolf's resolve seemed to falter, and let out a whine. It turned to run, to feel the wind in its fur, but Belle called out to the wolf. It nuzzled her hand, and then ran away.

The next day, the town was in a panic. A terror that they hadn't seen in decades reared its ugly head. It was the return of the great wolf. No one was in more alarm than Granny, who had guided them during the last terrible threat. The townsfolk looked up to her for protection, and she vowed to save the town. Luckily no one had lost their lives that night, only a few wild animals, but from what they remembered it was only a matter of time until the great wolf claimed one of their own to its horrifying bloodlust.

Elsewhere, Red awoke on a soft bed. She was covered in a few scattered bandages, but there didn't appear to be any severe injuries. She sat up with a jolt, her muscles burning and sore from extreme exercise she never remembered exerting. Belle was sitting in a nearby recliner reading a book. She looked up brightly to her friend.

Red, confused and scared, looked to Belle for answers. Belle explained how she had seen her friend transform into a wolf and knew from her books what Red's true form was. She spent most of the night trying to track her wolf friend, and finally found Red asleep when she reverted to her human form. She returned her friend to her own home where she tended to her wounds and looked after her.

Grateful for her friend's attentions, Red attempted to stand and leave her savior but Belle stopped her. She insisted that Red stay with her throughout the day. She knew there were two more days of wolf's time, and she was determined to see her friend through it. Red confessed to remembering some of the night before, most notably seeing Belle in the forest with a look of fear mixed with determination and faithfulness. That day, Belle vowed at she wouldn't leave Red's side, no matter what.

The two girls were inseparable ever since. Granny, over time, came to understand what Belle did for Red and was grateful to the beautiful stranger, welcoming her as a part of the family. The townsfolk's concerns never came to fruition. There were still occasional signs of the great wolf, but they no longer had anything to fear. The great wolf never again posed any threat to the people again, but instead became part of the natural wildlife of their little corner of the world. And they all lived happily ever after.


End file.
